New Radiocarbon-based assessment Supports the Prominence of Tel Lachish during late Bronze age IB-IIA

Lyndelle Webster,Michael Dee,Irka Hajdas,Katharina Streit,Felix Höflmayer

doi:10.1017/rdc.2019.131

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article presents a new suite of radiocarbon (14C) dates for the lower portion of the Late Bronze Age (LBA) sequence of Area S, Tel Lachish. The results show that the lowest levels reached by Ussishkin in the 1980s (S-2 and S-3) date significantly earlier than was previously thought. Level S-3, with its monumental architecture, belongs in the 2nd half of the 15th century BCE, as does the commencement of Level S-2. The laminated deposit of S-2 continues through the first half of the 14th century BCE, coinciding at least in part with the Amarna period. This redating leads to improved agreement between archaeological and textual evidence regarding the presence of a substantial, prominent settlement at Lachish during LB IB-IIA, from the reign of Thutmoses III through the Amarna period.

Highlights

Textual sources concerning the southern Levant in the 15th–14th centuries BCE give a picture of Canaanite rulers interacting with the Egyptian administration
This redating leads to improved agreement between archaeological and textual evidence regarding the presence of a substantial, prominent settlement at Lachish during LB IB-IIA, from the reign of Thutmoses III through the Amarna period
From the textual evidence one would reasonably expect to find convincing Late Bronze IB-IIA settlement remains at key southern Levantine tell sites

Summary

Introduction

Textual sources concerning the southern Levant in the 15th–14th centuries BCE give a picture of Canaanite rulers interacting with the Egyptian administration. Further evidence of power centers in the earlier Late Bronze Age (LBA) southern Levant, as seen by the Egyptians, is provided by the administrative text of Papyrus Hermitage 1116A verso (Golénischeff 1913). Dated to the reign of Amenhotep II (Redford 1965:107–110), it mentions Maryannu (chariot warrior aristocracy) envoys on their way to Egypt, stopping at various key towns. From the textual evidence one would reasonably expect to find convincing Late Bronze IB-IIA settlement remains at key southern Levantine tell sites.. There is uneasiness between the archaeological and textual evidence; some towns whose rulers figure prominently in correspondence, exhibit a surprising paucity or lack of settlement evidence.

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion